In the bustling seaside town of Bayshore, where ferries glide across the glimmering water and the scent of salt lingers in the air, two strangers find themselves on an unexpected journey. Clara Hayes, an ambitious architect chasing her big-city dreams, returns to her hometown to oversee a waterfront redevelopment project. Ethan Lawson, a reserved marine biologist, is fighting to protect the delicate ecosystem that Clara's project threatens to disturb. Their worlds collide when fate-and a ferry schedule-forces them into a shared commute across the harbor. What starts as a clash of ideals quickly evolves into an undeniable connection. As the tides of love rise, Clara and Ethan must navigate their differences, find common ground, and decide if they're willing to risk it all for the chance at a future together.
The ferry's horn blared, a low, mournful note that echoed across the harbor and rippled through Clara Hayes' chest. She stood on the deck, gripping the cold metal railing, her leather portfolio clutched tightly in her other hand. The salty air, crisp and damp, carried with it the faint aroma of seaweed and nostalgia. Bayshore, her childhood home, lay sprawled ahead, the quaint seaside town glowing under the soft morning sunlight. The sight was picturesque, almost idyllic, but Clara's stomach churned with unease.
The ferry rocked gently, its engines humming as it cut through the glimmering waves. Clara's eyes darted to the waterfront-a collection of colorful shingled buildings, weathered piers, and bobbing fishing boats. The centerpiece of the harbor, an aging wooden pier long past its prime, was the reason for her return. Her firm's project, a multimillion-dollar redevelopment, would transform it into a modern destination with sleek shops, trendy restaurants, and a sprawling promenade.
Clara pulled her wool coat tighter against the brisk breeze. She'd been avoiding this moment for months. When the assignment first landed on her desk, she'd tried to trade it with a colleague. Bayshore was a place she'd left behind-an anchor she had no intention of revisiting. But the project was too high-profile to refuse, and her boss had made it clear: if she wanted to climb the ladder at Preston & Mills, this was her chance.
"Heading to the harbor?" a voice broke through her thoughts.
Clara turned to see an older man standing a few feet away, a knit cap pulled low over his silver hair. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of a worn peacoat, and his weathered face bore the deep lines of someone who had spent a lifetime at sea.
"Something like that," Clara replied, forcing a polite smile.
The man nodded, his gaze drifting toward the shoreline. "Used to fish off that old pier when I was a boy. Shame they're tearing it down."
Her smile faltered. She wasn't ready to navigate the town's opinions, let alone justify the project to strangers. Instead, she glanced at her watch, hoping the conversation would end naturally.
The man seemed to sense her reluctance and gave her a small wave before turning away. Clara let out a slow breath and looked back at the horizon. Bayshore was close enough now that she could make out the faint lettering of a faded sign hanging from the pier: *Bayview Market*. The familiar sight tugged at her chest, stirring a mixture of guilt and longing.
The ferry docked with a soft thud, and the crew began to lower the ramp. Clara stepped back, allowing a group of tourists with cameras and oversized jackets to disembark first. She waited until the crowd thinned, her heels clicking against the deck as she made her way down to solid ground.
The town was just as she remembered-narrow cobblestone streets lined with mom-and-pop shops, ivy creeping up the walls of brick buildings, and locals chatting by the flower stalls at the market square. Clara inhaled deeply, letting the scent of fresh bread and roasted coffee momentarily calm her nerves.
Her destination wasn't far. The town's planning office was located in a historic building near the harbor, a place she used to visit with her father when she was young. He'd been a contractor, always poring over blueprints and muttering about measurements. Clara had inherited his meticulous nature, though not his love for small-town life.
When she reached the office, she paused to straighten her coat and smooth the flyaways from her dark hair. The heavy wooden door creaked as she pushed it open, and the warmth of the interior wrapped around her.
"Ms. Hayes, I presume?"
A sharp voice drew her attention to the reception desk, where a woman in her sixties sat typing on a vintage computer. Her gray hair was neatly pinned, and her glasses perched at the edge of her nose.
"Yes," Clara replied, stepping forward. "I'm here to meet with the planning committee."
The woman gave a curt nod and gestured toward a hallway. "Second door on the left. They're expecting you."
Clara muttered a quick thanks and headed down the hall. Her heels echoed against the polished wooden floors, a reminder of her city roots in a place where sneakers and boots were the norm.
Inside the meeting room, the committee members were seated around a long table covered in documents and maps. The tension was palpable the moment she walked in. A tall man with salt-and-pepper hair stood and extended his hand.
"Ms. Hayes, welcome. I'm Mayor Lucas Reid."
Clara shook his hand, her professional smile firmly in place. "Thank you for having me. I'm looking forward to collaborating on this project."
The mayor's expression remained neutral. "I hope so. There's been some... pushback from the community about the redevelopment plans."
Clara's stomach tightened. "I'm aware. I'll do my best to address any concerns."
Before the mayor could respond, the door swung open, and a man walked in, his strides purposeful and his expression stormy. He was tall, with broad shoulders and sun-kissed skin that hinted at a life spent outdoors. His brown hair was tousled, and his piercing green eyes locked onto Clara with an intensity that made her falter.
"I apologize for being late," he said, though his tone carried no hint of regret. "Ethan Lawson."
Clara blinked, caught off guard by his abrupt entrance. "Clara Hayes," she managed, extending her hand.
Ethan ignored it and sat down, his gaze flicking to the maps on the table. "I hope we're discussing the environmental impact of this so-called redevelopment."
The mayor cleared his throat. "Ethan is a marine biologist and one of our local environmental advocates."
Clara felt her temper flare but kept her voice steady. "The project has been designed with sustainability in mind. I'm happy to discuss specifics, but I assure you we're following all regulations."
Ethan's lips twitched in a humorless smile. "Regulations aren't always enough, Ms. Hayes. This harbor is home to fragile ecosystems that can't be replaced once they're destroyed."
The room grew uncomfortably quiet. Clara straightened her posture, refusing to be intimidated. "I appreciate your passion, Mr. Lawson. Perhaps we can schedule a separate meeting to address your concerns."
Ethan leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. "I'm sure we'll have plenty of opportunities to talk."
The mayor stepped in, his voice firm. "Let's focus on today's agenda. Clara, why don't you walk us through your proposal?"
Clara nodded and opened her portfolio, spreading out a series of polished renderings and blueprints. She launched into her presentation, detailing the design features and the economic benefits of the redevelopment. Her words were smooth, practiced, but she couldn't ignore the weight of Ethan's gaze, sharp and skeptical.
When she finished, the room was silent for a moment before the mayor offered a polite nod. "Thank you, Ms. Hayes. We'll review this further and follow up."
Clara gathered her materials and left the meeting room, her heart pounding. She had expected resistance, but not this level of hostility. Outside, the cool air hit her like a splash of water, and she took a deep breath.
Ethan was waiting near the building's entrance, his hands in his pockets. He didn't say anything at first, just watched her with that same intense stare.
"You're not going to win this easily," he said finally.
Clara lifted her chin, her voice calm but resolute. "I don't back down from a challenge, Mr. Lawson."
Ethan's lips quirked into a faint smirk, and he stepped aside to let her pass. "We'll see about that."
Clara walked away, her heels clicking against the cobblestones, her mind already spinning with strategies. She hadn't come back to Bayshore to lose. But something about Ethan Lawson made her realize this battle would be more personal than she'd anticipated.
Axel Devereux has always walked the fine line between chaos and control. At 25, he's a secret agent with a dark, turbulent past. Born to Helena, a woman forced into a life of despair, and Victor Devereux, a grieving billionaire oblivious to his illegitimate son, Axel was abandoned at St. Gabriel's Orphanage when Helena fled Victor's cruelty. Life on the streets hardened Axel, transforming him into a protector for hire. With his striking features-6 feet of commanding presence, stormy grey eyes, and a jawline carved from stone-Axel's charisma conceals the scars of his upbringing. But when his estranged grandfather, Elias Remington, finds him, Axel is thrust into a world of rigorous training and responsibility. His ultimate mission? To safeguard his half-sister, Celeste, and the one woman he can't live without-Amara Valentini, the fiercely independent daughter of business tycoon Lucian Valentini. Together with the enigmatic Renard brothers, Cyrus and Caleb, Axel must navigate a deadly web of deceit, danger, and betrayal.
When the Lycan King Eryndor emerges from centuries of slumber, he finds his kingdom in ruin and his kind hunted to near extinction. Betrayed by those he once trusted, he must reclaim his throne and rebuild his empire. But his path crosses with Aria, a spirited and mysterious woman with secrets of her own. Bound by an ancient prophecy, Aria holds the key to Eryndor's survival-and the power to destroy him. As enemies close in and alliances crumble, they are forced to trust each other. But in a world of bloodlust and betrayal, love may be the most dangerous force of all. Will the Lycan King protect his legacy, or will his heart cost him everything?
In the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, Lily has always felt out of place. Haunted by dreams of a mysterious wolf and inexplicable pull toward the forest, she begins to uncover the truth about her origins. As a young woman with the rare gift of controlling the supernatural, she is forced into a world she never imagined when she meets Elias, the brooding Alpha of a hidden werewolf pack. With the moon waxing full, their fates collide, and the undeniable bond between them grows stronger. But dark forces conspire to tear them apart, and Elias's pack faces an ancient threat that could unravel everything. To survive, Lily must embrace her newfound powers, face the wolves of her past, and protect the love that could change the fate of their kind forever.
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Liesl McGrath is an up-and-coming artist but for eight years she focuses on her husband as a devoted partner, adjusting her life and her career around him achieving his goal of becoming CEO by the age of thirty. Her life is perfect until her glass castle crashes down. Her husband admits to infidelity with none other than her own sister and there is a child coming. Liesl decides the best way to mend her shattered heart is by destroying the one thing he holds more important than anything else: his career. Isaias Machado is a billionaire first generation American he knows the value of hard work and doing what it takes to survive. His entire life has been geared to the moment he can take the McGrath company away from the corrupted men who once left his family homeless. When Liesl McGrath approaches the billionaire to bribe him with information set to ruin her ex-husband, Isaias Machado is chomping at the bit to take everything the McGrath’s prize including Liesl. A story of love, revenge and healing needs to start somewhere and Liesl’s pain is the catalyst to the wildest rollercoaster ride of her life. Let the bribery begin.